Breton (hat)
A Breton (or Bretonne) is a woman's hat with a round crown and a deep brim that is turned upwards all the way round, exposing the face.[1][2] Sometimes the hat has a domed crown.[3] Typically it is worn tilted to the back of the head.
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The style first appeared under this name in the 19th century and was generally made of lightweight and malleable material such as straw or felt.[2] It is said to derive from the straw hats traditionally worn by Breton agricultural workers.[4] It is not to be confused with the Breton cap, a fabric cap with a peak at the front associated with fishermen.
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1960s popularity
The Breton had a revival of popularity in the 1960s, with high-profile wearers helping to make it fashionable. During this era it also appeared in more extreme styles, with oversized turned-back brims. After British model Jean Shrimpton caused a scandal at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in Australia in 1965 by attending Derby Day hatless, bare legged and in a short summer frock, she returned three days later to the Melbourne Cup in a sober tailored suit with a large ice-blue straw Breton hastily created by local milliner Adele Chapeaux of South Yarra.[5] In 1968, a neat straw version was worn right on the back of the head by Mia Farrow in the horror film Rosemary's Baby.[6]
![](../I/m/Toni_Frissell%2C_Swim_fashion%2C_1950.jpg)
Such was the hat's popularity that The Times fashion editor Prudence Glynn singled it out in 1966 as part of the British 'uniform' at official summer events. In a feature warning of the perils of choosing an expensive occasion outfit in a country where the weather could not be relied upon, she said: "Look at the photographs taken at the Derby. The weather couldn't have been more unpromising, yet there were the British ladies staunchly parading the British Special Occasion Outfit (Subsection: Race Meetings) – Sling back shoes, wind-torn Bretons clapped onto untidy damp hair, nodding and smiling away under tons of artificial pansies and draped tulle."[7]
As well as coming in a variety of sizes, Bretons may feature additional details such as feathers, flowers and ribbon trims.
![](../I/m/%C3%89mile_Bernard_Buckwheat_Harvesters_1888.jpg)
Variations
In 1955, Christian Dior introduced the wide-brimmed Breton – also known as the padre hat – for its resemblance to ecclesiastical headgear. Unlike the more traditional tipped back Breton, this model was worn flat on the head.[8][9]
See also
References
- "Hat Shaper's, Hat Dictionary". hatshapers.com. Hat Shapers. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- Cumming, Valerie; Cunnington, C.W.; Cunnington, P. (2010). The Dictionary of Fashion History. Oxford: Berg. ISBN 9781847887382. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- "Hat Glossary". The Hat Magazine. 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- Brooks Picken, Mary. A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion: Historic and Modern (1999 ed.). United States: Dover Publications. p. 160. ISBN 0486402940. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
Breton hat + fashion.
- "Hat's on, hat's off". edition.cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- Hoffman, Ali (3 October 2012). "Private Icon/Rosemary's Baby". Nylon. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- Glynn, Prudence (3 June 1966). "Dressing down for the occasion" (56648). The Times.
- "The Fall News in Headlines". Chicago Tribune. 30 August 1955. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- Meehan, Hilda (14 March 1958). "New hat perks up old dress". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
External links
Media related to Breton (hat) at Wikimedia Commons- 1962 Jan Leslie modified breton from the collection of University of North Texas